This invention relates to magnetic sound recording and playing back apparatus utilizing a cassette and including means driven by the capstan for moving playing back members such as a magnetic head, pinch roller etc. toward and away from the magnetic tape.
The magnetic head and the pinch roller are urged against the magnetic tape payed out from the cassette and the capstan for playing back the sound recorded on the tape and moved away from the cassette to stop, reproducing, or perform rapid or fast feeding or rewinding. According to a prior art design, a manually operated push button mechanism is used for moving a lever mechanism carrying the playing back members such as the magnetic head and the pinch roller. Such mechanism, however, requires a large operating force and a rigid push button mechanism. If the push button is constructed to have a light weight and simple construction, it could be operated with a small force that is by a soft touch but it would be necessary to operate the mode switching members by some type of power driving means such as an electromagnet which is not only heavy and expensive but produces noise.